Spectroscopic diagnostic apparatus as an aid for laser tattoo removal

Abstract

A spectroscopic diagnostic apparatus is disclosed as an aid for laser tattoo removal. The apparatus performs spectroscopic analysis of the tattooed skin before or during laser treatment, which provides composition information of the tattoo pigments and photometric information of the skin for optimizing laser treatment protocols automatically or manually. It also provides a simulated treatment result for the selected laser types.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims an invention which was disclosed in Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 766,901, filed Feb. 17, 2006, entitled “Spectroscopic Diagnostic Apparatus as an Aid for Laser Tattoo Removal”. The benefit under 35 USC §119(e) of the above mentioned United States Provisional Applications is hereby claimed, and the aforementioned application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention generally relates to a diagnostic apparatus, and more specifically to a spectroscopic diagnostic apparatus for laser tattoo removal.BACKGROUND[0003]Tattoo (or other kinds of skin pigmentation), either artificially implanted or traumatic-inflicted, relates to pigment deposition in the inner layer of skin. Laser treatment is considered to be one of the best tattoo removal methods because it is less invasive and has a very low risk (<5%) to cause scarring. The laser treatment method generally involves the ut...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a spectroscopic diagnostic apparatus that can measure the Raman scattering spectrum of tattoo pigments to infer their composition information. This information can be used to determine which kind of laser is best absorbed by the pigment and what the required pulse energy is to break down the pigment particle. The apparatus can also provide a simulated treatment result based on the parameters of the laser, pigment composition information, and the photometric condition of the skin."

Problems solved by technology

One difficulty facing laser treatment method is that the treatment result is very hard to predict, especially for those artificial tattoos, since there are over 100 tattoo pigments used in the market and the exact composition of a given tattoo pigment is often kept as a trade secret by the manufacturer.

On the other hand, the patients often want to ‘see’ the expected result before laser treatment as the whole tattoo removal procedure (generally comprising several laser treatments) is both expensive ($1,000-10,000) and time consuming (up to 2 years).

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